MANILA, Philippines - Who says that the Bayanihan spirit is dead? For years, many Filipinos have been doing their part to help public schools prepare for classes in June via the Brigada Eskwela campaign.
The campaign also known as the National Schools Maintenance Week, takes place every May, during which volunteers prepare the school for the start of classes by conducting minor maintenance work such as repainting of roofs and exterior walls, leaking water pipes, ceiling boards, broken furniture and windows.
These efforts are undertaken with the help of donations in kind from corporations and non-government organizations.
This year, the Department of Education expects more participation from schools and volunteers.
The campaign does not accept cash donations. Donors give cleaning/repair materials, other non-cash assistance for the repair and maintenance of the school while the volunteers conduct the repairs and sprucing up of the school buildings.
The activity is done a week before the opening of classes so that on the first day of school the children can buckle down to their lesson. Before, teachers and students had to do the cleaning themselves, taking up a lot of time that should go to learning.
Principals and school heads are encouraged to organize the activity in their respective schools by working with parent volunteers, approaching local businesses for donations by March, and organizing work groups by April.
Beyond the material benefits generated from this campaign in the form of better classrooms and campuses, Brigada Eskwela also highlights the goodwill generated from the collaborative participation of the community to help others through bayanihan.
DepEd’s goal is to make Brigada Eskwela a year-round campaign and not just during the opening of classes. The department also wants to further energize the participation of the private sector in areas such as student health, nutrition and hygiene, among others.
The Brigada Eskwela has won an Anvil Award of Merit given by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, making DepEd the only government line agency to win an award this year in the prestigious search.